Clinton: No Obamacare subsidies for illegal immigrants

Hillary Clinton said she wants to allow illegal immigrants to buy health insurance on the Obamacare exchanges, but would stop at giving them subsidies to lower the cost.

"I think that raises so many issues, it would be difficult to administer," the former secretary of state said at the first Democratic debate sponsored by CNN Tuesday night. "It needs to be part of comprehensive immigration reform when we get to it."

Former Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley has proposed extending Affordable Care Act benefits, including its federal insurance subsidies to illegal immigrants, which is currently prohibited under the law.

Immigrants in the U.S. illegally are not allowed to buy health plans in the new online marketplaces, nor can they receive income-based assistance to make it more affordable, although California has moved forward on legislation opening up the marketplaces to them.